FIFA World Cup fever is gripping the world once again and even more people are able to watch the soccer matches thanks to solar power and German company, SolarWorld.
SolarWorld has installed 35 solar-operated television viewing points in South Africa and Namibia to enable football fans in the region without electricity or television sets to join in the soccer action.
The Sun-TV system uses a 100 centimetre LCD TV set with extremely low energy demand and can be viewed at any angle without any picture distortion. The system is powered by 2 12 volt 260 amp hour AGM deep cycle batteries, which are charged by two 24 volt solar panels; allowing for 4 hours viewing time each day.
The Sun-TV project has been supported by celebrities including football coach Jürgen Klopp, international footballer Lukas Podolski, rock star Peter Maffay and US actor Larry Hagman.
After the FIFA 2010 World Cup, the Sun-TV stations will be able to be used for educational purposes, such as teaching people about HIV.
As well as training and education, SolarWorld AG also wants to demonstrate the benefits of solar power in southern Africa. Diesel generators are often used for generating electricity in regions of Africa without power; which is costly in terms of fuel and maintenance and also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions.
SolarWorld will ensure operation of the Sun-TV systems for five years and beneficiary villages will protect the stations from theft and vandalism.
